Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human Computer Interaction (3rd ed.) by Ben Shneiderman 1998, 639 pages, $47.29 Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley ISBN 0-201-69497-2

Abstract

AVIATION A UTOMATION is one in a series of books that address human factors issues in transportation systems. Billings has done a superb job summarizing current thinking on the state of the art of aviation automation and presents his own perspectives on the topic. The book begins with a description of the problem space and the author's view of human-centered automation. This is followed by an effective review of the evolution of aviation, its relationship to automation, and an outline of key roles played by humans in aviation systems. The book focuses on cockpit automation, but it also addresses related issues in air traffic control. It ends with a prognostication of future issues. The book is clearly written and well organized and provides valuable insights to both novices and experts in the domain. A concise history of a problem area is always given prior to a delineation of the problems themselves. These descriptions will be of value to both students and designers. An appendix provides a short summary of major aviation accidents (through 1994) related to automation. These accidents are often referenced in the literature but not often described as they are in Billings' book. Aviation Automation has two shortcomings. It does not address the work of some significant foreign scholars (such as Rene Amaberti and Alain Gras) who provide interesting and complimentary points of view, and it does not address maintenance-related automation issues. Nevertheless, the book is a valuable resource for students and those involved in the design and evaluation of cockpit automation. I plan to promote its adoption as the key text in an undergraduate class in cockpit automation and as a key resource in our graduate-level classes on this topic.